Our invention concerns the use of one or more of the acids: aconitic acid, gluconic acid and/or succinic acid taken alone or further together with sclareolide in acting as a monosodium glutamate total replacer and/or in augmenting or enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs particularly with respect to imparting an umami effect and/or imparting of mouthfeel and fullness to the flavor of foodstuffs.
The "umami" effect is defined as the taste of a group of amino acids and nucleotides such as glutamates, inosinates and guanylates. The "umami" effect is set forth in detail in "Developments In Food Flavors" edited by G. G. Birch and M. G. Lindley, Chapter IV, at pages 63-79 (author and title of Chapter IV: Yoshi-Hisa Sugita "Recent Developments in Umami Research") the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The use of succinic acid in augmenting or enhancing the taste of foodstuffs is disclosed by Tonsbeek in U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,600 wherein an artificial flavoring mixture is described which can impart a meaty flavor to foods, and the mixtures contain an amino acid including glutamic acid, a nucleotide and critical amounts of succinic acid and a hydroxy carboxylic acid including lactic acid. However, the Tonsbeek reference does not teach the use of aconitic acid, gluconic acid and/or succinic acid taken alone (in the absence of amino acids except sulfur-bearing amino acids, salts thereof, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, salts thereof and nucleotides) or further together with sclareolide in enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs; particularly as a monosodium glutamate replacer and/or as a provider of the "umami" effect in foodstuffs.
The use of sclareolide per se is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,913 issued on Apr. 17, 1990 for augmenting or enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs whereby:
(i) richness and creaminess is added to low fat ice cream by admixing therewith the sclareolide; PA1 (ii) the sweetness of foodstuffs and beverages sweetened with non-nutrative sweeteners, e.g., aspartame is enhanced by admixing with a non-nutrative sweetener prior to addition to the beverage or foodstuff, sclareolide; and PA1 (iii) bitter nuances imparted by the use of potassium chloride and salt substitutes are substantially covered by means of admixing such salt substitutes with sclareolide. PA1 aconitic acid having the structure: ##STR1## succinic acid having the structure: ##STR2## and/or gluconic acid having the structure: ##STR3## taken alone or taken further together with sclareolide having the structure: ##STR4## in augmenting or enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs particularly with respect to imparting an umami effect and/or imparting of mouthfeel and fullness to the flavor of foodstuffs in the absence of amino acids (except sulfur-bearing amino acids), salts thereof, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, salts thereof, and nucleotides. PA1 (i) cysteine; PA1 (ii) cysteine hydrochloride; PA1 (iii) taurine; and PA1 (iv) cystine.
However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,913 does not disclose the synergistic effect of sclareolide with aconitic acid, gluconic acid and/or succinic acid in enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs particularly with respect to providing an "umami" effect and/or providing a monosodium glutamate effect without the use of monosodium glutamate
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,072 issued on Mar. 24, 1981 discloses a mixed seasoning comprising 100 parts by weight monosodium glutamate; 0.05 to 25 parts by weight of a flavor inducing 5'-nucleotide; 5.0 to 38.0 parts by weight table salt; 0.1 to 0.87 parts by weight succinic acid and/or sodium succinate; and 0.5 to 10.0 parts by weight of at least one alkali salt of an organic acid selected from the group consisting of sodium fumarates, sodium citrate, sodium or calcium lactate, sodium maleate, sodium tartarate, sodium ascorbate and sodium aspartate.
However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,072 does not disclose the use of succinic acid in the absence of monosodium glutamate to provide an "umami" effect and/or to act as a monosodium glutamate replacer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,465 issued on May 11, 1971 discloses an artificial flavoring composition comprising pyrrolidone carboxylic acid or a precursor thereof such as glutamine and succinic acid However, U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,465 does not disclose the use of succinic acid alone in the absence of such pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to provide an "umami" affect and/or to act as a monosodium glutamate replacer.
Nothing in the prior art describes the Use of one or more of the acids: aconitic acid, gluconic acid and/or succinic acid taken alone or further together with sclareolide in augmenting or enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs particularly with respect to imparting an "umami" effect and/or imparting of mouthfeel and fullness to the flavor of foodstuffs in the absence of amino acids except sulfur-bearing amino acids, salts thereof, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, salts thereof and nucleotides particularly where the final effect is also to act as a monosodium glutamate replacer.